Step adjusting separable fastener



June 2, 1953 c SCHNEIDER 2,640,239

STEP ADJUSTING SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed NOV. 28, 1950 .Ii r///////////////Ally///A INVENTORL CARL SCH/YE/DER Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATES 1 Claim.

This invention relates to separable fasteners and more particularly to'asele'ctively adjustable article together in any select one "bf 'a plurality of "positions relative to each other.

Anotherobject of this invention is to provide a separable fastener which is relatively flexible and particularly adapted to be utilized in conjunction with articles of clothing.

A-further object of this invention is to provide a separablefas-tener which is simple and 'efiicient inoperation andcheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consulting the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the separable fastener-"of the present invention as applied to secure the free ends of a belt together.

Figure 2 is a seetioii'al viewwithpart's broken away, tahenaleng the line 2- 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 -3 of Figure 2.

Figure l is an elevational view taken from'the right of Figure l, with the belt'omitted.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along 'thei line 5 5 of Figure 1. j

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like reference numerals have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, there is shown the separable fastener of the present invention generally designated by the numeral ID, which comprises a first strap H adapted to be secured to an article of wearing apparel, a second strap i2 adapted to be secured to another article of wearing apparel Or another portion of the first named article, and a flexible connecting link [3 extending between said straps and operatively connected thereto.

The first strap II is positioned transversely of one face of the article of wearing apparel, illustrated as a belt Hi, adjacent to and spaced from one free end thereof. The ends of the strap H are bent as indicated at it and I5 to underlie and embracingly engage the underface of the belt H to thereby fixedly position the strap H relative to the belt. The intermediate portion of the strap H is bent away from the adjacent face of the belt [4 to form a raised portion l6 centrally of said strap H. The raised portion I6- is provided with a centrally disposed aperture IT upon the belt :rotatably journaled in for the reception of one end of the connecting link l3.

Disposed'transversely of the belt 14 adjacent the other free end thereof is the second strap "l2. The intermediate portion of the'strap 12 rests It and is fixedly securedtherto by means of the rivets [8. The end portions of the strap I2 are bent inwardly to overlie the intern'iediate portion thereof, as clearly indicated at I9 and 20, said end portions andintermediate portion cooperating to form a channelway 2! extending transversely of the strap 12. Rig to "be noted that the end portions 19 and 20 are cut away, as indicated-at 22, and are spaced with respect to each other'so that the adjacent phrtion of the flexible link l3 may be inserted and withdrawn from the channelway 2L.

Disposed within the channelway 2i and "pivotally supported in the bounding walls thereof are a'pair of gripping jaws 2-3, 24, said'j-aws being mounted for swinging movement toward and away fromeach other.

Each of the jaws 23, 24 are of like structure and are mounted by like'rneans, so it willsuffice to merely describe the structure and mounting of one of the laws in detail. The jaw 23 ispivotally mounted intermediate its ends by means of a pin 25 which has its intermediate portion fixedly secured to the jaw 23and has itsend the adjacent portions of the strap l2; Suitable guide means are disposed adjacent to and spaced from one end of the jaw 23 to thereby guidingly support the jaw 23 for pivotal movement about the pin 25 acting as the pivotal axis. The guide means embodies a slot 26 provided in the end portion IQ of the strap 12, and a, lug 2'! extending from the jaw 23 and slidably received and supported within slot 26. Similarly the jaw 2 is mounted by a pin 28 and is guided by the lug 2t and the slot 30.

Resting upon each of the end portions I9, 20 and fixedly secured to the lugs 21, 29 are the knurled buttons 3|, 32. Accordingly, each of the jaws 23, 24 may be swung into and out of confronting relation with respect to each other by grasping the buttons BI, 32 and urging them toward and away from each other.

Suitable resilient means, such as the leaf springs 33, are disposed within the channelway 2! intermediate the jaws 23, 24 and the adjacent bounding walls to the channelway. The leaf springs 33, 3 each have one end fixedly secured to the jaws 23, 24 respectively and each have the other end fixedly secured to the adjacent bounding wall of the channelway 2|, Accordingly the jaws 23, 24 are normally biased into engagement with each other, as clearly indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The flexible connecting link I3 embodies a plurality of equally spaced spherical beads 35, which are interconnected by the flexible linkages 36. The bead 35 at one end of the connecting linkage I3 is enlarged, so that it may be conveniently grasped in the hand of the user. The bead 35 at the other end of the connecting link I 3 is slightly smaller than the aperture [1 provided in the raised portion [6 of the strap H.

Extending outwardly from the bounding wall of the aperture I! of the strap ll toward the strap 12, there is provided a slot 38, the slot 38 embracingly engaging the adjacent one of the connecting linkages 36'. Accordingly to detach the connecting link l3 from the strap II, the connecting linkage 36' is brought out of engagement with the slot 38 and a force exerted on the connecting linkage 13 to thereby bring the head 35" out of its position within the aperture IT.

It is to be noted that the jaws are each arcuately cut away, as indicated at 39 such that they are complementary to the spherical beads 35 to thereby tightly engage select ones of said beads.

In actual use, the straps II, i2 are connected to the portions of the wearing apparel to be secured together. After inserting the bead 35" into the aperture l1 of the strap l I and engaging the connecting linkage 36' in the slot 38, any one of the beads 35 of the connecting link I3 may be embracingly engaged intermediate the cut away portions indicated at 39, of the jaws 23, 24. When it is necessary to make an adjustment, the enlarged head 35' may be grasped and a force exerted on the connecting link 13 to thereby urge another one of the beads into engagement with the jaws 23, 24.

As is apparent to one skilled in the art, the step adjusting fastener of the present invention can be readily adapted for use as a quick and speedy mechanism in securing and holding fast any type of rope, cord, chain, band, wire cable, and/or any flexible material used for fastening or securing, which could be used in any household, commercial or industrial field, and in any and all applications of every human endeavor.

'This shall be accomplished by supplanting the jaws, indicated by reference numerals 23, 24 in Figure 3, to fit the contour of the fastening element. These surfaces shall be ribbed or knurled to properly secure the fastening element in place. The adjustable fastener may be made of any metal or alloys or any durable material whatsoever and in a variation of sizes to conform to any specifications in sustaining the load for which it is specifically designed.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, numerous modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a separable fastener for securing two articles together, a first strap adapted to be secured to one of said articles, a second strap having its intermediate portion adapted to be secured to the other of said articles, the ends of said second strap being each provided with a slot and being turned inwardly into spaced confronting relation with respect to each other to thereby form a channelway extending transversely of said strap, a pair of jaws positioned within said channelway and pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on the bounding walls thereof for swinging movement into and out of confronting relation with respect to each other, resilient means operatively connected to said jaws and said bounding walls of said channelway for biasing said jaws into confronting relation with re-- spect to each other, a lug carried by one end of each of said jaws and slidable in the slot of the adjacent end of said second strap, a button secured to each lug for individually effecting the movement of said jaws out of contacting confronting relation with respect to each other, and flexible link means including a plurality of beads carried by said first named strap and having the beads selectively engageable between the other ends of said jaws.

CARL SCHNEIDER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

